Dracula – Play (1924)

Dracula the  1924 stage play was written by Hamilton Deane and was adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker. This 1924 production starred renowned actor Raymond Huntley as Dracula. This was the first adaptation of the novel authorized by Florence Stoker, Bram Stoker's widow. However, it was not the first play based on Dracula. Bram Stoker the author of the novel Dracula, wrote a play based on the character before the novels publication. The play entitle Dracula, or The Undead was performed only once at the Lyceum Theatre in 1897.

A poster from the 1924 play Dracula

In 1927 the play was brought to Broadway by Horace Liveright. John L. Balderston was hired to rewrite the script to better suit the American audience. The American production starred none other than Bela Lugosi in his first major English-speaking role, with Edward Van Sloan as Van Helsing; both actors would later reprise their roles in Dracula(1931)directed by Tod Browning. The film version of Dracula was based on the play by Deane-Balderston.

Raymond Huntley who played Dracula in the 1924 play appeared in numerous of films and television series during his long and distinguished career.